Electric light fixture having a cluster of light sockets mounted thereon



WORTH ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE HAVING A CLUSTER OF Dec. 4, 1951 J,

LIGHT SOCKETS MOUNTED THEREON Filed C'. 25, 1947 l N V E NTO R BYc/Ose/o/ MHZ/1;

TTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE HAVING A CLUSTER F LIGHT SOCKETS MOUNTED THEREON Joseph Worth, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Leviton Manufacturing Company, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application October 25, 1947, Serial No. 782,181

4 Claims. (Cl. 240-78) This invention relates to an velectric lighting xture. More particularly, it is concerned with a fixture having a cluster of light sockets mounted thereon.

An object of this invention is toprovide in a device of the character described, a single integral bracket adapted to have mounted thereon a plurality of interconnected electric light sockets, whereby electric bulbs mounted in the sockets extend in such directions as to avoid undue heating of the wiring connections on one socket by the bulb in an adjacent socket.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the characterl described, a single bracket provided with spaced integral members for mounting a plurality of electric light sockets, said sockets being so arranged and interconnected as to reduce the amount of necessary splicing to a minimum.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, including a glass bowl, a single mounting bracket for a plurality of electric bulb sockets, said bracket being in the form of a polygonal member of minimum dimensions thereby reducing the shadow effect of said bracket with respect to said glass bowl.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a mounting bracket for a plurality of electric light bulbs so arranged that the wiring interconnecting the sockets is disposed entirely at the base of said sockets and the sockets being so arranged that the wiring on one socket is remote from the heat generated by a, bulb mounted in an adjacent socket. p

Still a further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a unitary mounting bracket for a plurality of electric light sockets, said bracket comprising a base of polygonal shape having socket supporting wing members angularly related to said baseand provided with notched portions between said base and said wing members to facilitate the passage of wiring interconnecting the said sockets.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a mounting bracket for a plurality of electric bulb sockets, said bracket comprising a substantially triangular shaped base member having wing portions extending from the .apices thereof, and providing means for securing the sockets at right angles thereto, said wing portions being adapted to be bent so that the sockets mounted thereon may be disposed at various angles relative to said base member.

Another object of this invention is to provid a rugged electric lighting fixture which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, is readily adjustable and which shall be practical and eiiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and procedural details which will be exemplied in the method and construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an electrical fixture embodying the invention, with parts thereof in section;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the bracket fixed on a support with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a socket used with the xture shown in Fig. 1; and v- Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit connections for the sockets shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to drawing, I0 designates the electrical lighting fixture embodying the invention. The same comprises a reflecting bowl I I formed with a central opening I2. The bowl I I is supported on a threaded nipple I3 by being clamped between a flanged member I4 and a flanged washer I5 which are mounted on the nippleV I3.

The member I4 comprises a wall I6 which lies in contact with the outer surface of bowl I I. The member I4 is formed with an upwardly extending axial anged collar I1 which extends upward, through the opening .I2 in the bowl IVI. The washer l5 comprises a wall I8 formed with an axial opening I9 and with an annular skirt portion 20 which extends downwardly into contact with the inner surface of the bowl II.

An ornamental cap nut 2| is screwed on the end of nipple I3 with the inner portion thereof bearing against the member I4 at the base of the collar I1 thereof. The washer I5 is clamped against the inner surface of the bowl I I by means of a nut 22 on the nipple I3.

A bracket member 25 is mounted on the threaded nipple I3, being disposed above the nut 22 and in spaced relation thereto. The bracket 25 comprises a substantially triangular shaped bottom wall 2S. The wall 26 comprises angularly related sides 21, 28, 29. Extending from the wall 26 at right angles thereto and disposed between the sides 21, 28, 25, are bent extensions which form similar wings 30, 3l, 32. The bend line 30a which forms a junction between the wing 30 and the wall 23 interconnects sides 21 and 28; the bend line 3m interconnects sides 23 and 23; and the bend line 32a interconnects sides 29 and 21. The wing 30 comprises an inclined edge 33 extending upwardly and outwardlyl from side 28. From the edge 33 there extends a horizontal top edge 34. A vertical edge 35 extends downwardly from edge 34 and a horizontal; edge 35 parallel to edge 34 extends inwardly from edge 35. A curved edge 31 interconnects bottom edge 36 and side 21. The edge 36 is disposed above theplane of the bottom wall 26. The edges 35 and 21 form a notch as shown in Fig. 4 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The wing 33 form-s an acute angle with respect to the edge 21. Wings 5II and 32 are similar to wing 30 and are likewise connected to the wall 26. It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 3 that the 'wings 3B, 3l; 32 are equiangularly disposed to eachother, and furthermore, are disposed tangentially of a common circle having a centre coinciding wi-th the centre of bottom wall 25.

Furthermore, the edge 35 on the wing 30 projects outwardly and beyond the corners formed by the intersection of the side 21 and the bend line 32a. Each of the wings 35, r3| and 32 is formed with a threaded opening 33' adjacent the edge 35 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The base 2B is formed with a central through opening 4.6 which will admit the -passage of nipn ple I3.

In mounting the bracket 25 on theY nipple I3,

a nut 4l' is screwed onto the nipple I3 above nut 22- and in spaced relation thereto. The bracket 25 is positioned on the nipple I3 with the bottom face of wall 25 abuttingthe nut 4I. A hickey 42 is screwed onto the nipple I3 immediately above the bracket 25 and in contact therewith. The hickey 42 comprises a pair of spaced, aligned circular walls 43, 44 interconnected by an inclined arm 45. The lower wall 43 is of slightly larger diameterr than the upper wallv 44. The walls 43, c4 are formed with aligned, threaded central openings 43a, Ma, respectively. T he threaded opening 53a of lwall 43' receives the upper end of' nipple I3. The bracket 25 is thus clamped between the nuts 4I and the hickey 132,

thereby fixing the bracket on the nipple E3. A threaded tubular iixture supporting member I3a is aligned with the nipple I3. rIhe lower end of the member I3a is screwed into opening 55a of the wall 413 of the hickey 42. A nut I3b on the member I3a locks the member to the hickey.

Mounted on each of the wings 33, 3l, 32 at right angles thereto is an electric bulb socket 53. The bulbl socket 5d comprises a tubular shell 5l of insulating material which is closed at one end by a base wall 52 having an inner face 53 and an outer face 5d. The usual tubular metallic receptor contact member 55, which is formed with a spiral groove 55, to receive the base of a bulb, not shown, is 'mounted within the shell 5I. A pair of oppositelyv disposed extensions 51, 51a of 'member 55, extending at right angles to the Wall of the member, are disposed in contact with the inner face 53 of the base 52. The extensions 51, 51a have conducting eyelets 58, 58a,

A of eyelets 58,v 58a. and 60.

secured thereto which extend through the base wall 52 to the back face 54. A spring contact 59 is mounted on the center of the inner face 53 of the base wall 52 being disposed between the extensions 55. An eyelet' secures the contact 59 to the base wall and extends through the wall to the back face 54'. The base 52 is formed on its rear face 54 with a raised recessed diametrical portion 6I- Whichencloses the aligned rear ends The rear face 5-4 is furthermore formed with diametrically opposed recesses 52, 62a disposed at right angles to raised portion 6+. The recesses 62, 62a are formed with transverse through openings 63. The openings 63 terminate in recesses 64 of enlarged diameter, on the. face. 53v of the base 52.

Each of the sockets 50, is mounted on one of the wings 35, 3l, 32 of the bracket 25, the end portion of the wing being received in recess 62 orI 52a on the back face 55 of the socket thereby preventing the socket from being turned on its axis; A headedscrew 65 passing through the opening 63 in the wall 52, is screwed into the threaded opening 33 in the wing with the head of the screw being received in the recess 55- in the base 52. It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 2, that each` of the sockets 50 extends at' right angles to the wing on which it is mounted. Furthermore, the length of the Wing -is such that the wallV 5I ofthe socket is disposed close to inclined edge 33 of the adjacent wing. The inclined edge 33' permits the sockets 55 to be mounted closely adjacent the centre of the bottom wall 26A of the bracket.

The sockets 5I) are wired together in parallel, in accordance with theA diagrammatic circuit shown in Fig. 7.

The receptor members 55A are interconnected through the eyelets 532, 58a by wires 16, 1I' and a single terminal lead wire 12 extends from one of the members 55'. Similarly, spring contacts 59 are interconnected through the eyelets 53 by wires 13, 14, 15 with a. single terminal lead 16 extending fromone of the eyelets 68. The leads 1-2, 1G' are thus available for interconnection to the positive and negative sides of current carrying lines.

It will be noted' from a consideration of Fig. 2, that the wires 13, 1I, 12, 13, 14'-, 15 and 16 may be readily inserted between the bottom edge 36 of the Wings and the adjacentv edges 21, 28, 29 of the base wall 26. This reduces theV length of the connecting wires to a minimum and makes their terminal ends readily availableforsoldering to the appropriate eyelets on the sockets 56. The other ends of the lead wires 12, 16 are readily inserted into the lower end of the member I3a and pass upwardly therethrough for interconnection to power lines.

The sockets 50 are arranged in tandem and are disposed at an angle of to each other. When thebulbs are screwed into the sockets,

the outer, hot portions of the bulb are remote from wiring connections of the adjacent sockets thereby reducing the possibility ofV deterioration of the insulation on the sockets connection.

The wings 3G, 3I`, 32 may be readily bent along the bend lines 35a, Sla, 32a, respectively, towards or away from the bottom wall 26. This permits adjustment of the `sockets 5B relative to the axisof the nipple I3 and is particularly advantageous in cases where the curvature of the bowl l' I is such thaty the end of' the bulbs in the sockets might contact the inner surface of the bowl.. 4In this case, the wing would be bent out- Wardly, thereby inclining the sockets 50 upwardly.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A lighting xture comprising a cluster bracket, said bracket comprising a base, wing members extending upwardly from the base substantially at right angles thereto, and being equiangularly spaced apart, said wing members being tangent to a common cy'iinder and extending beyond the base to the same side of a radial line from each wing to the axis of the base, and electric bulb receiving sockets xed to the extending portions of said wing members, the axes of said sockets being disposed in a common plane, the axis of each socket being disposed at right angles to the wing member on which it is mounted, and each socket being disposed beyond the wing memberadjacent to the wing member on which the socket is mounted.

2. A lighting xture comprising a bracket having a bottom wall, and a plurality of integral wings extending upwardly from said wall substantially at right angles thereto and disposed tangentially of a common circle and having end portions projecting beyond said bottom wall, said bottom wall having edges forming a polygon, and said wings extending from portions of said bottom wall between said edges, and lying in planes forming acute angles with said edges, and electric bulb sockets attached to the projecting portions of said wings, the axes of said sockets being in a common plane and forming a polygon.

3. A lighting fixture comprising a bracket having a bottom wall, and a plurality of integral wings extending upwardly from said wall substantially at right angles thereto and disposed tangentially of a common circle and having end portions projecting beyond said bottom wall, said bottom wall having edges forming a polygon, and said wings extending from portions of said bottom wall between said edges, and lying in planes forming acute angles with said edges, the lower edges of said end portions of said wings being spaced above the plane of said bottom wall, sockets attached to said end portions, said sockets extending at right angles to said wings, the axes of said sockets being in a common plane and forming apolygon.

4. A lighting iixture comprising a bracket having a bottom wall, and a plurality of integral wings extending upwardly from said wall substantially at right angles thereto and disposed tangentially of a common circle and having end portions projecting beyond said bottom wall, said bottom wall having edges forming a polygon, and said wings extending from portions of said bottom wall between said edges, and lying in planes forming acute angles with said edges, the lower edges of said end portions of said wings being spaced above the plane of said bottom wall, sockets attached to said end portions, said sockets extending at right angles to said wings, and wiring connecting said sockets in parallel and passing through the notches formed between said end portions of said wings and their respectively adjacent edges of said bottom wall.

JOSEPH WORTH.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date p 1,144,095 Bauer June 22, 1915 1,225,411 Cohn et al, May 8, 1917 1,260,853 Bair Mar. 26, 1918 1,724,091 Jaeger Aug. 13, 1929 2,144,931 Poey Jan. 24, 1939 

